Empirically testing the impact of change management effectiveness on company performance

Abstract

The literature is abundant with articles extolling the importance of change as a necessity for business survival and growth. Specifically, business change means the redesigning of business processes, the improvement of the company's products and/or services, and organizational changes to organizational structure and/or culture deemed necessary for better performance. Despite the importance of the topic, the existing literature contains little empirical evidence. Mostly superficial analyses and personal opinions have been published in this basic area. A field test of how effectively business organizations are implementing business changes, and use IS technology to do so, was undertaken to understand the important characteristics of the business change processes involved and to empirically test the relationships among these constructs. Despite the relatively small sample size, the results provide clear evidence about the importance of effectively managing business change for business success. The items used for measuring the main constructs provide further insights into how managers should go about managing necessary business changes, including IS department support for the change process to improve business performance.The authors are grateful to Mark Boshart, Melena Brackins and Jane Wall for their invaluable assistance with this project.

Organizational capacity for change, change experience, and change project performance

“…However, a wide range of contradictory and confusing approaches and theories occur in the change management literature (e.g., Burnes, 2004;Cummings & Worley, 2009;Thames & Webster, 2009). Guimaraes and Armstrong (1998) argue that there is also a lack of empirical evidence and consisting mainly of superficial analyses and personal opinions. Doyle (2002) suggests that existing practice and theory rests on unchallenged assumptions about the nature of organizational change.…”

Performance-enhancing internal strategic factors and competencies: Impacts on financial success

“…As the rapid increases in business globalization and free trade continue to increase business competition (Guimaraes and Armstrong, 1998), the importance of identifying and understanding factors likely to produce sustained competitive advantage, growth, and enhanced company financial performance have become even more important to both the managers and shareholders (Tonge et al, 1998). Hospitality companies face the same challenge.…”

The Tasks of Reviewing and Finding the Right Organizational Change Theory

“…However, many of these theories have been found to be impracticable and plainly unworkable. Many of the change theories are contradictory and un-implementable; the failure rates of these theories make the implementation of organizational change confusing and frustrating for many of the organizations and their leadership teams (Balogun and Hope-Hailey, 2004;Burnes, 2004;Doyle, 2002;Edmonstone, 1995;Guimaraes and Armstrong, 1998).…”